When to use UV Varnish

Adding a touch of luxury to your publication as well as protecting it from daily wear and tear, a layer of varnish will make a fantastic finish to your printed document.

Used on the cover of brochure, catalogue or magazine it will give it an instant eye-catching look that ensures it stands out from the crowd.

Although there are a few different types of varnish to choose from, one of the most stylish and luxurious around at the moment is UV varnish. An innovative and effective process, UV varnish could transform your next printed project and help you to create the aesthetic you’ve always wanted.

What is UV varnish?

UV varnish is a special type of varnish that’s finished using an ultraviolet drying machine. It creates a more vivid, more luxurious and more tactile finish when compared to non-UV varnishes and adds an instant professional look to any printed project.

There is a choice of finishes such as matt, satin or gloss and they can be applied over the whole printed area or only to specific areas and the process is quick and efficient.

Give us a call to talk you through the options available.

How to use UV varnish

When applied to the entire surface of a book cover, postcard or business card UV varnish gives the product a more distinctive look, has a much nicer feel and will also prevent it from marking and smudging.

Using a spot UV varnish

Designers can choose to apply UV varnish to specific areas of a printed product. Applying varnish in this way is often referred to as spot UV varnish.

This method can be very effective when used on book covers, business cards or postcards, by enhancing the printed design. The varnish itself is used to create part of the design by forming the text, pattern or an image which is then printed on to a solid colour background.

When producing artwork for spot UV varnish the designer will need to create a separate spot colour for the area to be varnished. This colour should be set to overprint.

spot uv lettering

Combining UV varnish with other techniques

By combining spot UV varnish with other print finishes it is possible to create even more striking designs. This technique works particularly well with matt laminate where, for example, the photographs or the title are overprinted with a high gloss spot varnish which will make them really stand out.

Effects like die cutting, embossing and foil stamping also work well with UV varnish, especially for book covers and other high end products.

An innovative, effective and affordable technique, UV varnish will help you to get the most out of your next printed project and create a product that will impress every time. If you are interested and would like to know more call us for more details.

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